Everything You Need To Know About Pressure Washer Rental

ByBackyard Workshop Team

Renting a pressure washer to clean old stains on the deck or deep clean the concrete, can be a better option than purchasing the outdoor tool for a one-time project. Buying a power washer for lighter tasks like washing cars, trucks, or cleaning the backyard grill or outdoor furniture seems like it makes sense. These jobs, however, usually don’t need a gas pressure washer; an electric pressure washer would suffice.

The first choice is whether or not you should rent or buy.

How often do you need to use a power washer every year? This answer goes a long way in determining the benefit of renting vs. buying. If you seldom use a washer, why bother buying one if you can rent an washer for a few hours? On the other hand, price matters as well. If you use a tool enough that the rental cost is close to the cost of a washer, it makes sense to buy the best pressure washer you can afford outright.

mom and son with rented pressure washer

Reasons Why You’d Rent an Electric Pressure Washer

There are significant benefits in renting an electric washer, but it has its disadvantages too.

Pros of Renting

  • No Maintenance. The best benefit of renting tools and equipment is that you don’t have to maintain it. You rent it for a day, and then you take it back to the rental company.
  • Repair Costs. All equipment has parts that break from usage. Hoses often become brittle after a period of hard use. Sometimes it’s too expensive to repair, and it is more cost effective to buy a new one. When renting, the repair costs or needing to replace the equipment is not your concern.
  • Storage Space. Gardening tools and yard equipment can be bulky and hard to store. It takes up space in the garage or basement. when you go down the path of equipment rental, like a pressure washer for example, you don’t have to worry about storing it.
  • Winterizing for Storage. Storing seldom used tools for months or during the winter requires preparation. When renting, you don’t have to go through the winterizing process of removing the detergent solution and draining the water before you can store the electric pressure washer. You don’t have to find a warm spot for storing the pressure washer to prevent seal damage and freezing.
  • Cost-effective. Renting an electric washer may be cheaper than buying one. You could buy a cheap poor-quality import, but it won’t produce the pressure you need, and you’ll spend more time on the job than you should have. For less money, you could rent a high-powered pressure washer with enough pressure to accomplish what you set out to do.

Cons of Renting

  • Do It Yourself. When you rent the pressure washer, you must do the job yourself. If you haven’t used a high PSI washer before or you don’t enjoy using one, then renting or buying may not be the best choice. Instead hire a professional contractor.
  • It Could Cost More. Sometimes renting isn’t the best option. Depending on the type of job, consider the costs of renting vs. buying the pressure washer. If you’re planning on using the electric pressure washer a few times a year, it could be cheaper to buy than to rent.
  • Amateur Results. A professional will complete a job in less time with better results than an amateur. Sometimes it’s better to spend the money on a contractor who works with these devices daily, than your inexperienced once-a-year effort.

Reasons Why You’d Rent a Gas Pressure Washer

Here are some points to mull over when considering renting a gas washer as opposed to buying.

Pros of Renting

  • No Maintenance. Maintaining equipment are labor intensive and time-consuming. Irregular maintenance may cause damage you could’ve avoided. When renting a gas pressure washer, you don’t need to be concerned about the maintenance. You expect to rent a well-maintained power washer.
  • Repair Costs. If the rented gas pressure washer needs repair, you simply take it back to the store. As an owner, however, you would have to repair or replace the broken parts. Repair costs may include additional costs of hiring someone to fix the pressure washer. Sometimes you have to buy a new machine because it’s not worth repairing.
  • Latest Model. Renting means you have access to the latest A seldom used gas pressure washer becomes a seldom used old model gathering dust in your garage.
  • Storage Space. Gas washers require storage space indoors. Space you could’ve used to store regularly-used gardening tools and yard equipment. Renting equipment frees up space in the shed or garage, for the new lawn mower or bike.
  • Winterizing. Draining the fuel, detergent, and water; making sure the pressure washer is stored correctly; and all the other winterizing steps is not your responsibility as a renter.
  • Cost-effective. For heavy duty pressure washing, you’ll save money in renting the gas pressure washer for a day versus spending money on equipment you’ll probably not use for another year. Determine if you need a hot or cold pressure washer and how much psi. Then compare purchase price with rental.
  • Right Tool. When renting, you choose the power tool designed for the specific job. You’re not in a situation where you had bought a 2700 PSI device (ideal for residential needs like getting rid of mold, mildew or muck) but you need a 3500 PSI machine to clean old stains in the concrete.

Cons of Renting

  • High Demand. Owning a gasoline-powered tool means you can use it whenever you want to. If renting during high season, the high demand may mean you can’t rent a pressure washer at your convenience. Cost may also increase during high demand seasons.
  • Do It Yourself. If you rent a gas pressure washer, you’re the one that must operate it. For some, doing it yourself, isn’t fun. You may not like working in the yard, or it’s not possible because of time time or physical constraints. Using this tool isn’t a special event to be looked forward to for most people.
  • Costly. Renting for the annual cleaning or one-time project makes sense. Paying rental fees three to four times a year or monthly, however, may become expensive. After the third or fourth rental, you’ve already spent the same amount or more than buying a gas power washer. Sometimes renting isn’t the best option.
  • Professional Results. Doing it yourself may not accomplish the professional result you were hoping to achieve.

Why Rent An Electric-Powered Washer vs. Gas?

  • The portable electric washer is easy to transport because it’s small and lightweight compared to the heavier gas models.
  • Low noise level won’t disturb neighbors.
  • Lightweight and portable making it ideal to use inside the house.
  • No preparation required. Plug the electric cord in and hook up the water hose to use the pressure washer.
  • As a novice, it’s easier to handle without damaging the property with the high pressure of gasoline washers.
  • The 1400 PSI electric pressure washer is sufficient pressure for most pressure cleaning around the house. Cars, trucks, bikes, pool decks, backyard grill, outdoor furniture, and garden equipment usually won’t require more PSI to clean.

Why Rent A Gas-Powered Washer vs. Electric?

  • No electric cords that limit movement to the length of the cord and the nearest power plug.
  • No worries of electrocution because the electric cord accidentally came into contact with water.
  • Gas pressure washers are more powerful and can clean surfaces electric power washers can’t.
  • Cleaning is faster with higher power and flow rates.
  • Variety of accessories and attachments make gas power washers versatile.
  • Conveniently reach areas beyond arm’s length. For example, you may clean the house walls with an electric pressure washer, but a gas pressure washer can reach the top floors without a ladder.
  • While built for residential use, some gas power washers, however, have enough power and pressure to complete jobs that generally would require industrial powered machines.

Where Can You Rent An Electric Pressure Washer?

There are only a few places that rent electric pressure washers.

You’ll probably find a pressure washer to rent at your local rental store. Alternatively, search for “power washers near me” to find a tool rental near you. Make sure that they rent electric pressure washers; many rent gas pressure washers but not necessarily electric washers.

How Much Does It Cost To Rent An Electric-Powered Washer?

While it will vary depending on the area and season, the price ranged from $35 to $50 per day when we checked our local rental companies. Prices usually drop a bit per day based on longer rental terms – but not always.

Wallet Full of Money

Where Can You Rent A Gas-Powered Washer?

Unlike electric power washers, many places rent gas powered tools. There is probably a rental company near you. Search online for “renting tools” or “pressure washer near me” or use the website Rental HQ (https://www.rentalhq.com/home.aspx) to find a rental company in your town.

Here is a list of some national and regional home improvement and rental stores. If you know of more please let us know in the comments.

Some examples of limited locations. This site I found in that article so not sure if they’re relevant)

How Much Does It Cost To Rent A Gasoline Power Washer?

There are different types of gas power washers. Some heat up the water to high temps in order to help with chemical removal. Most homeowners don’t need one of these, but they tend to be more expensive. For illustartive purposes, HRC currently charges nearly double a daily rate for hot vs. cold power washers.

“Normal” cold pressure washer costs vary depending on the PSI, motor size, season and competition. Home Depot charges $75 to $95 a day in my area depending on the size and PSI of the tool. Herc Equipment is currently quoting $80 to $100/day for similar sizes. Their 5000PSI is nearly $140/day as of April, 2019.

What Do You Need To Rent?

You must be 18 or 21 years old with a driver’s license to get involved with washer rentals.

The deposit against possible damage is about the same you’ll pay to rent a device for a day. This will vary depending to the rental company, so call around.

When Should I Hire a Professional Rather than Rent the Equipment and Do It Myself?

It’s an acquired skill to understand how much pressure to apply. Too much pressure and you could cause permanent damage to the object you’re cleaning. Too little pressure and you worsen the situation instead of getting rid of the grime and grease. Professional contractors are trained to use the pressure washer the right way. If damage occurs, they have the expertise and insurance to fix it. If you damage your property, it’s possible that your home owner’s insurance policy won’t cover the damage because its seen as intentional damage.

Contractors have all the necessary equipment and accessories to do the job and to handle anything unexpected that may occur. They also know when to use what kind of pressure washer. When you rent or buy, you need to know whether you need a hot or cold pressure washer, how much power, pressure and cleaning solution to use.

Professional pressure washing services are aware of the effect of excess water usage, carelessness and harmful soaps have on the environment. They are trained to use water effectively and not to be careless with spraying product everywhere. The detergent they use is eco-friendly.

Hiring a professional will save you time that you must set aside for the cleaning job. You can do other yard work while the hired contractor does the pressure washing. Since professionals work with pressure washers every day. Their result would probably be better than someone who hasn’t used a pressure washer before or seldom uses it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

One Comment

  1. Ellie Davis says:

    It’s interesting to know that you must be 18 or 21 years old and have a driver’s license to rent a power washer. My brother is starting a business, and we are looking for advice to help him clean it before moving everything. I will let him know what he needs to do to rent a power washer to clean his business.

    Reply